Les hommes nouveaux

Although Marcel L'Herbier is remembered as one of the great French directors before WW2,one must admit that some of his works have become obsolete today.Just before the war broke out,he had a tendency to make propaganda movies:"la porte du large" about French navy and "entente cordiale"."Les hommes nouveaux" (what a misnomer!)partly deals with French glory in Morocco :a historic figure (Lyautey) appears at the beginning and at the end of the movie,but it's being kind to say that it does not hang well with the main plot of the movie...which deals with a nouveau riche (Harry Baur)who made his way of life in Morocco and married a beautiful woman.Enter a military man... who was the lady's former squeeze.Shall I continue?

The movie was recently restored:was it really necessary?